Anning’s pov

I almost laughed at her words, so me speaking to someone I bumped into means I’m friends with that person?

Well, I wasn’t surprised. Considering how smiley that guard was, anyone would misunderstand him.

"I don’t think we’re friends." I said in return, crossing my arms against my chest.

Wanqing raised one elegant brow and said, "But you know his name."

"That’s where you are wrong. I don’t know his name." I declared triumphantly, my lips curling into a small smile.

"That doesn’t matter, seeing as he still remembers you." Gu Wanqing responded.

I frowned, "How’s that my fault?"

"You’re too friendly." Gu Wanqing responded, the frown on her face deepening.

Now I was staring at her, completely confused and a bit upset. Firstly, I was nowhere near friendly and secondly, why was she asking all this? Is she actually interrogating me right now?

The realization hit me slowly, like a bucket of water had just been dropped on my head. The way she had asked us to step in, how cold her voice sounded and that dangerous smirk she had on her lips. I almost slapped a hand over my face for not noticing it quickly.

"Young Miss..." I called carefully but in a sing-song tone, fighting the smile that threatened to form on my face. "Are you jealous?"

"--"

The room became so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat. The expression on Wanqing’s face changed instantly.

"What did you just say?" She demanded, her voice dropping low.

"Pfft." I almost laughed but slapped a hand over my mouth when she glared at me. "You sound jealous."

Wanqing scoffed, cocking her head to the side. "Are you trying to say I’m jealous of that thing? A mere guard?! Don’t flatter yourself."

But the poor lady didn’t know that she sounded upset and actually like someone they had offended. The great Gu Wanqing, reduced to this. The absurdity of it made something warm bloom in my chest despite everything.

I stared at her for another second, then my lips stretched into a real and actual genuine.

Wanqing narrowed her eyes at me, then asked in a softer tone, "Why are you smiling?"

’She’s cute’ I thought, biting on my lower lip to stop myself from laughing out loud.

"I didn’t know the young miss could be this...cute."

This time, she looked away and slapped a hand over her face. But I caught sight of the faintest shade of red on her cheek. For once, the arrogant, untouchable Wanqing seemed genuinely rattled. And somehow, that made my own tangled feelings feel a little less confusing.

Wanqing recovered from her little blushing episode and then turned to look at me. After that teasing remark, the silence between us was starting to because uncomfortable.

She tilted her head slightly, studying me like I was some puzzle she intended to solve. News flash, I didn’t want to be solved.

"Come closer." She said after a while, her voice still low. "You said I’m jealous, come and see for yourself if I’m truly jealous."

I shook my head immediately, taking a small step away from her.

"That’s inappropriate, Young Miss. I shouldn’t stand that close to you. You have a fiancèe, people will talk." I stated, hoping it would knock some sense into her.

Wanqing’s lips curled into a small, ominous smile. "Since when did you start caring about what people say?" She patted the space beside her on the bed and said aggressively. "Sit."

My heart raced against my chest as I stared back at her. Part of me wanted to turn and walk out, to preserve whatever dignity I still had left.

Why? Because sitting beside her meant the possibility of something happening between us. The possibility that what happened last night might end up repeating itself.

After a long, tense moment of thinking, I gave up. I walked over and carefully sat on the edge of the bed, keeping as much distance as possible between us.

The mattress dipped under my weight, bringing me closer to her than I wanted.

Yippee.

Wanqing shifted slightly, turning toward me. Her gaze dropped for a moment before rising again, dark and unreadable.

"How is your ass?" She asked casually. "Still sore from last night?"

Blood rushed up to my face. I blushed furiously and immediately turned away from her.

"Do not bring that up." I muttered, my voice strained with embarrassment.

"Why?" She asked, shuffling closer to me until I could feel her hot breath fanning my cheek. "Tell me, why shouldn’t I bring it up?"

My heart skipped a beat at how close she was. I could see the faint swirl of white in her eyes, her smooth porcelain skin, the sharp line of her jaw and the way her black hair fell over her shoulders.

This was dangerous. She has a fiancèe, we shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t even be sitting here.

Yet, I couldn’t move. My body felt like it didn’t even belong to me again, caught between the urge to push her away and an even stronger urge to pull her closer to me.

"Because what we did last night wasn’t appropriate." I whispered, barely able to meet her eyes. "None of this is appropriate."

Wanqing’s face was so close now that I could feel her lips brushing over mine. Her gaze dropped to my lips for a second before returning to my eyes.

The air between us crackled with tension, both sexually and emotionally. It was confusing.

Then Wanqing brushed a few strands of hair behind my ear and said, "What I’m about to do also isn’t appropriate. But the difference between us is that, I’m going to do it anyway."

Before I could even respond, Wanqing had closed the distance between us. Her lips crashed against mine, slow but demanding.

For a split second I tried not to melt into the kiss, I pressed my hands against her shoulders and pushed.

"Wanqing—" I mumbled against her mouth, but she didn’t let me pull away.